Index-device.



INDEX DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 4. I917.

1,255,929. Patented Feb.12,1918.

flanges a, as, formin JAMES H. RAND, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

INDEX DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Feb. 12, 1918- Application filed January.4, 1917. Serial No. 140,636.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES -H. RAND, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Index Devices,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to index devices, and consists in the novel features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention,

Figure is a face view of the index, partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross section of one of the index members on its supporting bar;

Fig. 3 is a. plan view of a blank from which the index member is formed; and

. Fig. 4 is a face view of one of the members removed from its supporting bar and closed for filing away.

The frame, which may be of usual form, comprises the back A and the inwardly bent nels, the whole pre erably being made of sheet metal.

A series of supporting bars (3 made of Bristol board, metal, celluloid or other resilient material, are held at their ends by the flan es a, a,and are slidable lengthwise of the rame, and are also removable from the frame by springing or bending their middle parts away from the back B until their. ends are withdrawn from the guide channels.

A series of index elements B, of paper or other sheet material, are supported by the several bars C, one in front of another with their free margins exposed, and uniformly spaced by .the bars C. As herein shown each index element consists of a pocket or envelop having a body 6, end flaps b, b, a bottom flap 'b and a top flap b, folded res ective1y on lines (5, d and d. The sideand bottom flaps when folded inwardly and secured form a pocket as shown. The margin of the top flap b is folded rearwardly on four parallel-lines e e, e and e, so that the free margin of the flap may be folded closely over and around the supporting bar 0, as best shown in Fig. 2, with its edge termihating between the bar and the depending front of the index element. This affords a opposed guide -ehansecure attachment to the bar, though it will not always be essential that the folded margin should extend completely around the bar to the front side thereof.

When the index elements are supported in the frame the back of the frame engages the folded over margin and aids in holding the same in position, and adjacent bars above and below also hear on the folded over parts still further aiding to keep them in position.

The forwardly folding crease 03 serves both as a hinge on which the element B when mounted in the frame may be swung forward and upward to disclose inemoranda or records on the next underlying element, and also as the fold for the top flap when the element is taken from the frame and used as a closed envelop as shown in Fig. 4. The exposed lower margins of the envelops may be used for means or other titles and constitute an index when the envelops are mounted in the frame, thus combining the advantages of a so-called visible index and a file of folders for correspondence, vouchers or other papers. So long as an envelop is in active use it will remain in the frame, but when the transaction is closed or the envelop filled and ready access to it is no longer required, it may be removed, closed up as shown in Fig. 4, and filed away. Another envelop may then be attached to the supporting bar which may be used again and again.

The mode of attaching the index element to the bar by folding its margin over the bar, may be used to advantage with other forms of index elements than .envelops and possesses the advantage of an attachment which may be easily made by the user without paste or other securement than the fold.

I claim:

1. An index comprising a frame having opposed guide channels and a back, a series of supporting bars having their ends removably and slidably mounted in i .1 guide channels, and a series of index nents of sheet material supported on said bar s, each having one margin folded over its supporting bar between the bar and the back of the frame, said folded margin being unattached either to the bar or to the body of the sheet index element and being held in position at the rear side of the supporting bar by the back of the frame, and at the edge of the supporting bar by the next adjacent bar.

2. An index comprising a frame, a series of supporting bars separably held therein, and a series of index elements of sheet material each having one margin folded over and completely around one of the bars with its edge terminating between the bar and the front of the index element, supporting the index element on its bar, said folded margin being unattached either to the bar or to the body of the sheet index elements,

and the back of the frame 'being adapted to hold the folded margin in position.

- 3. An index comprising a frame, a series of supporting bars separably held therein, a series of index elements of sheet material each having one margin folded over and completely around one of the bars with its edge terminating between the bar and the front of the index element, supporting the index elementon its bar, said folded margin being unattached either to the bar or to the body of the sheet index element, and adjacent bars above and below bearing on the folded margin and aiding in holding the same in position.

4. An index comprising a frame, a series of supporting bars separably held therein, and a series of index elements of sheet material each consisting of a pocket or envelop, the open flap of which has its free margin folded over one of the bars supporting the envelop on its bar without other securement.

An index. comprising a frame, a series of supporting bars separably held therein, and a series of index elements of sheet material each consisting of a pocket or envelop, the open flap of which has its free margin folded rearwardly over one of the bars, supporting the envelop on its bar without other securement said envelop also having a forwardly folding crease between the rearwardly folded margin and the pocket opening, adapted to serve as a hinge when the envelop is in the frame and as a fold for the flap when the envelop is removed from the frame.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 28th day of December, 1916.

JAMES H. RAND. 

